The Princess and the Dragon
by BittersweetSonata
Summary: We all know the story of Beauty and the Beast. But that's not really how it happened. The REAL story is much better than that. I'd be happy to set the record straight, that is, if you want to hear it. Once upon a time, not really that long ago, lived a princess and her little dog that looked more like a small snowman...
1. Intro

**Hey! This is the first in a series of fairy tales I plan on writing for Fairy Tail. This is Natsu and Lucy, one of my favorite couples in Fairy Tail! It's a Beauty and the Beast rendition. Sort of. You'll just have to keep on reading. It'll be good, I promise. **

**Attention! I do not own Fairy Tail or the story of Beauty and the Beast! However, I do own the idea of this story, so no stealing please! **

**(I know you won't. 'Cause you're honest right?)**

Intro

We all know the story of Beauty and the Beast. There once was a rich merchant who had three beautiful daughters, but somehow, he lost all his wealth and they had to live in poverty. The two older sisters were not happy that they had to live so poorly. They were used to the fine dresses and rich finery they had when they were wealthy.

The youngest daughter, who enjoyed the simple pleasures in life, wasn't at all unhappy. Anyway, you know how the story goes. Their father went on a journey because of some ship and he thought he could become wealthy once again. He wasn't stuck up or anything, he just wanted to be able to provide for his daughters.

So, he asked each of his daughters what they wanted most and he would bring it back for them. The fist two daughters asked for the finest dresses and jewelry that money could buy. But the third daughter asked for only a rose.

The merchant made the long journey only to find that the ship hadn't made it into port and had been lost at sea. He left, disappointed that he wouldn't be able to give his daughters their presents. Apparently, he somehow ended up in an enchanted forest, and there was some beast or something after him.

He came upon a castle and quickly took refuge inside. As it turns out, the reception he got was pretty nice considering that he just barged in and everything. The servants gave him the fanciest dresses and jewelry anyone had ever seen at his request.

Fortunately, there was a very large rose garden filled with the most beautiful roses that existed. Okay, you know how parents aren't supposed to play favorites with their kids? Well, apparently our merchant friend didn't know that. His favorite daughter was the one who asked for the rose. And he was going to make sure that she got it.

He picked the one that looked the best and was about to leave when the master of the castle confronted him. Unfortunately, the master, who looked like some big hairy water buffalo, was really, really, angry with the merchant for picking a rose from his garden.

So he threw the merchant into the dungeon. Several days past, and the merchant finally begged the beast to let him go. He told him that he had three daughters at home that he had to provide for. And I quote him as he said this "They are only girls. They will not be able to survive by themselves!" Stupid merchant, maybe the beast threw you into prison for being a sexist.

Well, the beast decided to let the merchant go on one condition. That he would send one of his daughters in his place. The merchant reluctantly agreed and he was let go.

Meanwhile, back in the village, the youngest daughter was being stalked by this egotistic creep who really wanted her hand in marriage. She denied him of course, because she didn't love him. That, and he was just a plain creep.

Anyway, everyone in the village thought the girl was strange. Just because you're different doesn't mean that you're weird, strange, or peculiar. People in this story are really judgmental, don't you think? Of course they liked her, they just thought because she was different from everyone else that she was strange.

And she didn't get a very warm reception from the creep's admirers. Apparently, they didn't think of him as a creep. But, she didn't mind them and just went on about her business. When she arrived home, she was surprised to find her father there waiting for her. Of course, pleasantly surprised.

She ends up being the one to go in her father's place to the enchanted forest and stay with the beast. They don't get along very well at first but they eventually fall in love and she has to break the curse before he dies but the creep finds out where she is and he gathers together a mob and they charge the castle and he fights the beast and they both end up dying but the girl confesses to the beast that she loved him which somehow brings him back to life as a handsome prince and they live happily ever after.

So there you have it. But that's not how it really happened. Not even close. The real story is much better than that. I'd be happy to set the record straight, that is, if you want to hear. Since this is a fairy tale, well, maybe not, but since it's the real story, I'll start it the same just for the nostalgia.

_Once upon a time..._

**So, how is it so far? **_  
_

**I would like to know which paring you want for the next installment of this series. Here are your options:**

**JerZa - Jellal and Erza**

**Gruvia - Gray and Juvia**

**or GaLe - Gajeel and Levy **

**Which one would you like next? Just PM me and I will do my best. **

**Don't forget to review, favorite, and follow! **

**Until the next update, this is Sonata, signing out!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hey again. Let me just say, that the only reason that I updated today is because I have the flu. So, no school for me. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this! I did my best!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, if I did, Natsu and Lucy would have been together a LONG time ago. :)**

Chapter One

Once upon a time, not really that long ago, there lived a beautiful girl named Lucy. Now, I know what you're thinking, that she was a poor merchant's daughter who lived in a small house with her two older sisters and her father. Not so. Lucy Heartfilia was a princess. Well, not a _real _princess. But she was the daughter of Jude Heartfilia, CEO of the Heartfilia Concern.

Now, Lucy had all the finery and fancy things she could ever want. But Lucy didn't care about fancy dresses and jewelry. She liked the simpler things in life. Lucy and her father didn't exactly see eye to eye. In fact, it was anything but.

Her father had ignored Lucy ever since his wife had died. Lucy loved her father and wanted his love as well. But it was not meant to be. Now, her father wanted to marry Lucy off to some stranger. Arranged marriages don't usually work out anyway. And the worst part was that he wanted her to marry a creep. The man had asked Lucy repeatedly for her hand in marriage, but she always refused.

Lucy wanted to find her own way in life. She wanted to meet someone special and fall in love. She didn't want to marry some old pervert who would probably only marry her for her money, the power, and her body.

So, Lucy ran away. Now, it was probably a good idea at first. But you should think about how it would effect people in the long run before you make any hasty decisions like that. She didn't figure her father would care anyway.

Lucy decided to take Plue with her. Plue was Lucy's small dog who strangely enough looked more like a small snowman. I'm not sure why, I guess it was a special breed or something. Nikola, I think. Anyway, she couldn't just leave poor Plue all alone so she took him with her.

Somehow, she ended up in a creepy looking forest. And that, is where the real story starts.

"Plue, I think we're lost." Lucy said wearily as she leaned against a dead tree.

"Mmm!" Plue agreed.

Lucy looked around. "This sure is a creepy place. All of the trees are dead. I wonder why?"

She stretched and yawned. "Well, I guess we'd better get going if we want to make it out of here before dark." she shivered. "I don't want to be stuck in a place like this when night comes."

She picked up Plue and began to walk. It was true. They were completely lost. After walking for a while, Lucy stopped suddenly and gasped. Plue looked up at her questioningly.

"Whoa! Look at that Plue!" she whispered pointing to something ahead of them.

A large castle loomed out of the darkness. It looked centuries old and she stared at it in awe. It seemed to be overgrown with black thorns. It looked foreboding, but Lucy was a curious girl, and she decided to check it out.

She quietly walked through the black brush and trees that littered her path. When she reached the castle, it was much bigger than she originally thought. She pushed open one of the large double doors. It creaked loudly and she jumped at the noise.

The inside of the castle was nothing like the outside. Plush carpet, fancy tapestries, and finery filled the interior. It was even fancier than her father's mansion. She gasped as she walked int the hallway.

"Wow. It's so pretty! What do you think Plue?" she looked down at the small dog.

"Mmm hmm!" Plue nodded in agreement.

"It's huge!" Lucy said as she twirled around in the center of the room. Suddenly, she stopped. "But I wonder why I haven't heard of it before?" she wondered aloud.

Her eyes widened. "Wait...the creepy woods, a castle covered in black thorns..." she turned around in horror. She ran to the door and tried to open it. It was locked.

She slowly walked back to Plue. "No way." she muttered. "No way. I didn't think it was real."

Plue looked at her in confusion. "This place...I _have _heard of it before. In a book. I read a story once about a castle in the woods. The woods, which was really an enchanted forest, died and it became gloomy and creepy. No one really knew why. And legend had it that a castle covered in black thorns was deep inside the forest. It was a cursed castle, for some reason, the book didn't say why. But all who went into the castle were forced to remain there forever. Or at least until the curse was broken."

She sighed, tears threatening to fall. "I shouldn't have come here Plue. Now we're stuck here forever."

Plue hugged her leg, trying to comfort her. She knelt down and took him into her arms. Suddenly, there was a noise behind them. Lucy and Plue froze. It sounded like...footsteps.

Lucy quickly stood up and, grabbing Plue, she fled into a closet nearby. She sighed in relief. A hand touched her shoulder and she stiffened.

"Excuse me miss, but how did you find this place?" a feminine voice asked.

Lucy gulped and slowly turned around. It wasn't a closet that she had taken refuge in, but a tea room. The feminine voice belonged to a woman who looked about two years older than her. She had long scarlet hair and brown eyes, much like Lucy's own chocolate brown ones.

Lucy smiled nervously. "Well, I got lost in the woods and I ended up here. I'm not really sure how I found this place."

Plue shivered in her arms and Lucy hugged him tighter. The woman looked at Lucy, then at Plue, then back to Lucy. "I see." she said solemnly. She stick her hand out. "I'm Erza Scarlet, it's nice to make your acquaintance."

Lucy shook her hand. "Um, I'm Lucy Heartfilia, it's nice to meet you too."

Erza smiled. "Would you like to join me for tea? It gets very lonely here and I haven't seen a girl in ages."

Lucy accepted the invitation. She was getting hungry. She sat down across from Erza, Plue taking a seat beside her. "Lucy, I don't want you to panic," Erza began, but Lucy already knew what she was going to say. "But now that you're here, you won't be able to leave."

Lucy nodded. "I know."

Erza looked surprised. "You-you do?"

Lucy smiled sadly. "Yes. I know. I read about this place in a book once, when I was younger. It was just folklore, or at least that's what I thought."

Erza smiled at her. "But don't worry. You'll be taken care of. The master always takes care of us. You'll be provided with dresses, food, and whatever else you would like." Her smile brightened. "I'm glad that you're here. I used to be the only girl in the castle. Well, before you came anyway."

'She seems nice.' Lucy thought. "Wait. Did you say the master?"

Erza nodded. "Yes. And I suppose now that you're here, you should meet him." she stood up abruptly.

"Wait! Right now?" Lucy asked as Erza walked toward the door.

"Of course. Well, that is if Gray permits us to see the master." was Erza's response.

She took Lucy by the wrist and led her out into the foyer and then up the grand staircase. She then proceeded to lead her through the winding hallways. They finally came to a stop before a black door. Erza knocked loudly.

The door opened to reveal a man, well really he only looked about fifteen, with dark black hair that had a navy tint to it. His navy colored eyes looked alert and he was well built. "Erza, was that you I heard? I went downstairs to see if everything was-" he suddenly stopped upon seeing Lucy standing behind Erza.

His eyes widened in shock and he pointed at her. "You!" he yelled.

Lucy threw her hands up in surrender. He had startled her. Erza placed a hand on his arm and lowered it. "Now, now Gray. Don't scare Lucy. That is, if you want to keep your arm." there was a scary glint in her eye.

Gray laughed nervously. "N...no...s-sorry Lucy."

Lucy smiled. "It's fine. Sorry if I worried you earlier."

Gray looked at her in surprise. "No. It's alright. Uh, come in." he opened the door and let the two girls in.

Lucy looked around. It was a fairly normal room. It looked sort of like an office. There was a desk, bookshelves, chairs, and a matter of other things one would need. "Is this where you work?" she turned to Gray.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, it wasn't really my office in the first place. But that doesn't matter now. There isn't much work when you're locked away inside a castle. At least, not the sort that one would use all this stuff for."

He picked up a stack of papers. "I mean, what use would importing and exporting serve us when we're stuck in this place?"

Lucy smiled. "You're right."

He dropped the papers back onto the desk and stuck out his hand. "Gray Fullbuster, and you are?"

She giggled and shook his hand. "Lucy, Lucy Heartfilia."

Gray took a seat in the chair behind the desk. "Welcome to Fairy Tail, Lucy. What brought you here in the first place?"

Lucy looked confused. "Fairy Tail?"

He chuckled. "It's the castle's name. Stupid, I know. But there is no point in arguing with his dumb decisions." Erza looked at him threateningly. "Er-I mean, it's a good name I guess. He just doesn't have much taste for those sorts of things."

Lucy frowned. "Who's 'he'?"

Erza shot a look to Gray. "The master." she answered.

"Oh. I see." Lucy smiled. "You wanted to know how I ended up here, right? It's sort of a long story."

Gray rolled his eyes. "Believe me, we have plenty of time."

Lucy turned to Erza. "You might want to sit down, Erza. This could take a while."

After Erza was seated, Lucy also sat down. "Now, where do I even begin?"

**So, what do you think? It didn't turn out like I wanted it to. **

**Now, I would like to take a minute or two and thank everyone who has added me and this story to their favorites, followed this story and myself, and reviewed!**

**The following is a list of people who have reviewed:**

**titis98773**

**Guest (I don't know who you are, but thanks!)**

**dang29regacho**

**Rose Tiger**

**ILoveAnimeGuys (LOL, I love your username)**

**GoldenRoseTanya**

**Thank you so much! I love reviews! They make my day, and they would help me feel much better *hint hint* The flu is not a fun thing.**

**As I asked in the intro, I would like you, the readers to choose which paring I do next.**

**Your choices are:**

**Jerza**

**Gruvia**

**or GaLe**

**I would like to know you opinion! So, PM me or you can mention it in your review as well. **

**Until the next update, this is Sonata, signing out!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Well, I am still sick. Apparently, it's not the flu. I'm feeling a little better though, so here's the second chapter!**

**I was ecstatic when I saw how many reviews I have received for this story, with just an intro and one chapter too! Your reviews really cheered me up. **

**Disclaimer: No, unfortunately, I don't own Fairy Tail. But if I did, that would be totally awesome. **

Chapter Two

Lucy thought for a moment. Then, she brightened. "I guess I'll start from the very beginning." Erza and Gray looked at her, giving Lucy their full attention. "Well, I, Lucy Heartfilia, am the daughter of one of Fiore's richest families. Now, I'm not bragging or anything, I'm just telling you so you know. Anyway, my mother died when I was little and after that my father practically alienated me."

Erza looked taken aback. "But you were his daughter! How could someone do something like that?"

Lucy smiled sadly. "I'm not really sure. He just, he didn't care anymore I guess. So, as I was saying, the years past by and I was forced to live such a solitary and confined life. I had no friends, and that's why I guess I won't mind living here for the rest of my life, because I'll have you, Gray, and Plue with me."

She cleared her throat. "I was able to sneak out sometimes. The outside world was a wonderful place to me. Since I didn't get to see it at all hardly. I would walk through Magnolia, the town closest to our mansion, and take in everything."

A happy smile took the place of her previously sad one. "I loved that town! The people were so nice and kind, even though they didn't know that I was a Heartfilia. It was so nice. I could eat fresh baked rolls and cupcakes, without having people instruct me on how to chew."

Gray made a face. "They told you how to _chew?_" he looked thoroughly disgusted at the idea.

Lucy chuckled. "That's living among the wealthy for ya. But it was even worse if you were a child of the wealthy. I was given specific instructions on how to do everything. That was just how it worked. Anyway, one day, when I was old enough, I was planning on moving to Magnolia. It was my favorite place in the world."

Her expression darkened. "But my father had different plans. He wanted me to marry some creep named Bora. He'd asked me to marry him before, multiple times. But I always refused, because, like I said, he was a real creep. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to marry some creep who only wanted me for my money, the power, and my body. I wanted to find my own path, to fall in love on my own."

"So I ran away. It probably wasn't such a good idea, now that I think about it. But I had no idea what to do. It was the easiest option. I was headed to Magnolia, but I got lost somehow and I ended up here." she smiled. "And that is my story."

Gray and Erza sat in silence. Finally, Gray spoke up. "That's harsh Lucy."

Erza nodded. "Don't worry Lucy, we'll take good care of you here. And your small snowman as well."

Lucy gave her a confused look. "Small snowman?" she looked down at Plue sleeping in her lap. She laughed. "Plue's not a small snowman! He's a dog!"

Erza and Gray looked at her strangely. "I've never seen a dog that looks like that." Gray said, pointing to Plue. Erza nodded in agreement.

Lucy blushed. "Well, he's a special breed?" honestly, she didn't even really know why Plue looked the way he did. He didn't bark, he hummed. He didn't look like a dog at all, but like Erza had said, a small snowman. He shivered and twitched constantly too.

Erza looked at her suspiciously but didn't say anything. "If you say so." was Gray's amused response.

Gray stood up. "Well, I guess if you're going to be living here from now on, we should show you around." Erza also stood up.

"Yes. That's a good idea Gray. Come Lucy." she said as she walked out the door. Lucy hurriedly grabbed Plue and ran out after her.

She followed Erza and Gray around the castle. Erza pointed to a door. "That's your bedroom. Would you like to see it?"

Lucy nodded and reached for the doorknob. When she opened it, she gasped. The room was even more luxurious than the one that she'd had back at her father's mansion. There was a large canopy bed with a thick pink comforter, a large wardrobe, a plush couch, and her own bathroom next to her room. But what Lucy loved the most was the big window that over looked a garden.

She hadn't seen it before, because it was behind the castle, but it was beautiful. Of course, as beautiful as a garden could be in a dead enchanted forest. Blood red roses and some as black as the night filled the garden. They looked like they hadn't been trimmed in years, but Lucy loved it all the better for that.

They climbed over the broken black wire fence and adorned the black benches that looked like they hadn't been used in years. She noticed something strange though. Usually, roses had green leaves and stems, but these roses stems and leaves were black.

Not that it bothered her much, it just seemed peculiar. Erza seemed to notice the strange look on her face and decided to show her to a different room. Gray sensed this and cleared his throat. "Lucy, would you like to see the library?"

Lucy spun around and rushed over to him. "Fairy Tail has a library?" she asked excitedly.

Gray sweat-dropped. "Eh, yes. It does. A rather large one I might add."

He could have sworn he saw stars in Lucy's eyes. "Oh, yes! Please show me!"

Gray led Lucy back down the stairs and he stopped in front of a huge door. "Here it is!" he laughed as she jumped from one foot to another in anticipation, just like a little child would while waiting for ice cream.

Lucy turned to him. "May I?"

He put a hand on her shoulder. "No." he said solemnly.

Her eyes widened and tears gathered in them. "What, what do you mean?"

He grinned. "I was only joking, go on. Open it."

Lucy pushed open the huge wooden door and stepped inside a whole other world. Well, it was a whole other world to her at least. She gasped as she twirled around, taking it all in. The library was huge! There were so many bookshelves filled with so many different books.

She looked at Gray who was leaning in the doorway with his arms crossed. "It's...it's so big!" she exclaimed.

Gray chuckled at her reaction. "I know. Although I don't understand why he even has all these. He never reads. Erza reads one in a while, she likes books a little I guess, but she'd rather be off training."

Lucy gave him a confused look. "Erza would rather be off training? What do you mean?"

He sighed. "Erza, she, well, she's different from most girls. She's never been the type to dream of princes rescuing her or falling in love. She'd rather be off sword fighting with some strong guy than sitting and having tea and talking about gossip." he grinned. "In fact, she was the best swords woman and could fight just as well as any man before we, well, before Fairy Tail was cursed."

Lucy laughed and Gray was taken aback. "That's nice." Lucy smiled. "I'm glad I'm not the only one who would rather be doing something else other than 'sitting and having tea and talking about gossip.'"

Gray gave her a funny look but seemed to understand. "Well, Lucy, pick a book. You have all the time in the world to read it."

Lucy smiled and began to look through all the books for one she wanted to read. Honestly, they all sounded interesting. While she looked, she chatted with Gray. She stopped suddenly and turned to Gray.

He looked at her questioningly. "Gray, what's it like?"

"What do you mean Lucy?"

"I mean, what's it like to live in a cursed castle for the rest of your life?" she asked him.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I don't guess I've really thought about it that way. It's not too bad. It gets kind of lonely sometimes. You don't really get any older. Since that's part of the curse. Sometimes it gets pretty boring too. But other than that, it's not really any different from normal life."

Lucy smiled. "Well, I don't think I'll get too lonely with you and Erza here. You both seem like really nice people."

Gray smiled back at her. "So do you Lucy."

Suddenly, Erza's voice boomed through the castle. "Gray! Where are you? Did you break this Renaissance vase?" she yelled threateningly. "It was a priceless treasure!"

Gray paled and gulped. "L-Lucy. P-please excuse me. I-I have to r-run." and with that, he was out of the room in the blink of an eye.

"Well," Lucy mused. "I don't think life here will be boring."

Plue hummed his agreement as they listened to Gray's terrified screams.

**I would like to apologize for any grammar mistakes and errors. I didn't really feel like looking this over. **

**Anyway, as I was saying in the beginning, so many reviews! I'm loving it!**

**When I checked my email this morning, I had like twenty-nine emails. And I'm not joking. Almost all of them were from FanFiction notifying me of all the people who added this story to their favorites, followed, and reviewed. I'm honored that you all like this story so much. I will ow mention some of the reviews. **

**This one made me laugh, because I hummed the McDonalds tune when I read it. "Da da da da da daa I'm loving it! haha! XD" - titis98773**

**I was extremely happy to receive this one. "Yay! Lucy meets Erza and Gray! Great job on the first chapter (or is this the second?)! I can't wait to see what happens next! Oh! And Jerza or GaLe would be fine :) I ship those two X3 Update soon!" - LuckyLifeSmile Yes, I ship them too! And I would like to thank you for your opinion on which couple I should do next!**

**I also loved the one from xKeeping Happyx, but it's sort of long, not that I mind that at all, I loved reading it. So you can check it out in the reviews for this story if you'd like. **

**Heh. This one made my morning. "'Stupid merchant, maybe the beast threw you into prison for being a sexist.' 'That, and he was just a plain creep.' Why couldn't they say that in the story!? Great chapter! Looks like a great story!" - MissMe2306**

**And now, I would like to thank the following people for their votes on which pairing I should do next: **

**ILoveAnimeGuys**

**Rose Tiger**

**LuckyLifeSmile**

**Yuni-sama**

**xKeeping Happyx**

**Yuisu**

**I didn't mention all the reviews I received, but please don't feel offended. I love them all!**

**So please, keep 'em coming! Don't forget to favorite, follow, and review! **

**Also, don't forget to vote for which pairing you want to come next!**

**Your choices are:**

**Jerza**

**Gruvia**

**GaLe**

**Because they are who I ship. Well, and NaLu of course!**

**PM me or you can mention it when you review!**

**Thanks again! Until the next update, this is Sonata signing out!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey! I'm still sick so I decided to type up the third chapter today! Oh, who am I kidding, I was planning on doing it anyway. Sorry, I was planning on posting it this morning, but that didn't happen. Anyway, here it is!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. **

**Enjoy!**

Chapter Three

Lucy sighed as she prepared for bed that night. It had been a very long, and very interesting day. After Erza had given Gray what she thought was the proper punishment for breaking a priceless treasure, she had told Lucy that dinner was to be served at six o'clock and to dress properly.

So, Lucy had gone up to her room to look for something to wear. She was amazed at all the fancy and beautiful dresses that lined the inside of her wardrobe. She picked a nice pale blue one with a sweetheart neckline and white lace.

What amazed Lucy the most however, was that the dress fit perfectly. When she and Plue had gone down to dinner, she was relieved to see that Gray was still able to sit and eat his dinner, even though he didn't look all that great.

Erza had worn a pretty purple dress with a red rose pattern. She had smiled at Lucy and told her to take her seat. Lucy had done so, and dinner was served. There was roast chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, a nice green salad, roast beef, and a tempting chocolate cake for desert.

While they were eating, a thought had suddenly struck Lucy. She turned to Erza, who was sitting beside her. "Erza, where did all this food come from?"

Erza swallowed her mouth full of roast chicken. "I'm not sure really. Sometimes I make things to eat, but usually we just write out what we want and leave it on the kitchen counter, and, when meal time comes around, it's there waiting for us."

Lucy chewed slowly. "I see." she said after swallowing.

Something else had bothered her though. "Why doesn't the master eat with us?" she asked.

Erza had shot a quick warning glance to Gray, unnoticed by Lucy. "He isn't well. He's not very sociable either." she had answered.

"Oh, alright. I'm sorry for asking. I, it just seemed strange, that's all." had been Lucy's response.

The rest of the meal Lucy had talked to Erza and Gray about the outside world. She told of things in such detail that they felt as if they were there themselves. Lucy had enjoyed the night immensely, as well as Gray and Erza.

Once Lucy had gone upstairs to bed, Gray and Erza had gone to one of the drawing rooms to talk. "She's very nice." Erza said as she stared out the window into the inky blackness.

Gray yawned. "I agree. She's different from most of the girls I remember. Of course, growing up with you, Mira-jane, Cana, Lisanna, and Levy, you were all different from normal girls. That's not a bad thing!" he added when Erza shot him a glare.

Erza leaned back against the sofa she was laying on. "She hasn't met him yet." she whispered quietly. "We can't keep it a secret forever. I mean, she already knows Fairy Tail is cursed, just not why. She's a smart girl, I know she'd figure it out eventually. But, I feel as if we should tell her. I don't want to see her hurt."

Gray nodded sleepily. "It'd be even better if he told her himself." he mumbled. "Of course, he's probably to scared or something stupid like that. But seriously, she could be the one to break the curse." he let out another yawn.

Erza turned back to the window. "You're right. But it's not as simple as you make it sound. If you were in his position, you would be scared too." her face held a sad distant look. "And I don't think it's just fear. He's angry. With himself, with Makarov, Igneel, and Porlyusica. But, I fear that if he doesn't learn to let go and accept the past, and if he doesn't accept Lucy," her voice became choked. "I fear that he'll die."

Gray opened one eye and looked at her. "I know Erza, but you shouldn't worry. He hasn't met Lucy yet." he lazily smirked.

Lucy laid in bed, staring at the top of the canopy. She had woken up a while ago and hadn't been able to go back to sleep. She didn't understand why, but she just couldn't sleep. Finally, she sat up in bed. She looked to her window, the full moon shining brightly.

She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and walked over to the window and looked down into the garden. At dinner, she had also asked Erza if they were just confined to the castle. Erza had told her that they were confined to the premises of the castle grounds and that she could leave the castle, just not the grounds.

Curiosity overtook Lucy and she grabbed a pink cloak and threw it on over her frilly white nightgown. She looked over at Plue to make sure he was sleeping, then she slipped out of the room. She tiptoed past Erza's room, which was a few doors down from hers. Gray slept in the South Wing, while she and Erza slept in the East Wing, so she didn't have to worry about waking him.

She quietly made her way down the staircase. All she had to do now was to find the door that led to the garden. She passed the kitchen but stopped when she heard shuffling sounds, but they didn't continue. She shook her head. She must have been imagining things.

Lucy smiled in triumph when, after about a half an hour of searching, she finally found the door. She took a deep breath and slowly turned the knob. She quickly slipped out the door, closing it quietly behind her.

Her eyes widened. It was like she was in a whole other world. The moonlight illuminated the red and black roses and only added to their beauty. She carefully took a step. Then another, then another, until she was standing in front of one of the bushes. Her breath hitched in her throat and she leaned down to smell the roses.

It was a wonderful aroma. She had never smelled anything quite like it before. A smile graced her lips as she walked through the garden. She had to hold back a laugh when she smelled the black roses. They smelled like licorice. Her smile widened. She'd never heard of such a thing before. It was silly, yes, but she liked the way the smelled.

She wondered if Erza and Gray knew about the strange colored black roses that smelled like licorice. She thought they must, because they've lived there for years, although she's not sure exactly how many. All she knows is that it's been a long time.

"It's like magic." she whispered and giggled. "I think I'd like to smell the black ones once again tonight." she bent over and reached out her hand. She touched the stem so that she could pull the flower closer to her nose.

"Ouch!" she cried softly. She looked down to see blood dripping off her finger and onto the white cobblestone path. "My finger." she whispered painfully. The thorn had hurt more than a regular one would have.

"You should be more careful next time." a voice from behind her warned.

Lucy quickly turned around. "Who's there?" she asked quietly.

"That's what I should be asking you. Who are you anyway?" the voice asked. It seemed like it was coming from the shadows.

"I'm Lucy." she wondered who it could be. It was a male voice, so it certainly couldn't be Erza. Gray was out to, his voice was deeper than this one.

"I don't know anyone named Lucy." the voice said coolly.

"Well, I didn't know that shadows could talk either, so I guess we're even." Lucy responded. This guy was starting to get on her nerves.

"Hey! I am not a shadow! I'm a human!" the voice protested.

Lucy crossed her arms. "Well, then, let's see you."

"No. No, I don't think I'm coming out." the voice answered evenly.

Lucy huffed and stomped her foot. "And why not?"

"Because you're not the boss of me! That's why!" she could tell that the person was getting as irritated as she was. She smirked. She wouldn't have it any other way.

"Maybe not, but it's not exactly polite to talk to a lady in that manner. But, what does it matter? I'm probably just imagining you. A stupid voice in my head. One that has no name, or purpose. You're probably just a figment of my imagination." her eyes caught movement in the shadows.

"You are _not _imagining me! And I have a name thank you!"

The next thing Lucy knew, there was a boy about her age standing right in front of her. He was tall and tan, had black onyx eyes and pointy white teeth. The thing that stood out about him most however, was his _pink hair. _

"See!" he said. "I told you I was real!"

Lucy looked up at him. "It's nice to see you in person."

The boy gazed down at her. "You seem nice." she smiled at him. "But you're just so weird."

Lucy's smile turned into a frown. "Hey!" she protested, and promptly hit him on the head.

**Seriously, one of the worst parts about being sick is that I can't have anything sweet. I'm not a compulsive eater, and I'm certainly not addicted, but there is a jar of nutella and a box of graham crackers in the cupboard calling me. Unfortunately, I can't have them.**

**So, how did you like it? I apologize for any grammar mistakes or errors. Once again, I didn't exactly feel up to reading over it. **

**I've been asked multiple times when Natsu was going to appear, not that I mind of course. I hope that he made a good appearance, or at least that you enjoyed it. **

**Wow! So many reviews! I'm so glad you all like the story so far!**

**And I've received many votes for who the next pairing should be!**

**Now, keep sending them in, and at the end of this story, I will count them up and declare the winner!**

**Here are your choices:**

**Jerza**

**Gruvia**

**GaLe**

**Because I totally ship them, and NaLu of course.**

**PM me or mention which pairing you want when you review!**

**Thank you all once again!**

**Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review!**

**Until the next update, this is Sonata, signing out!**


	5. Chapter 4

**It's the fourth chapter! Yay! I meant to update this yesterday, but that didn't happen. I'm still sick, but getting better. Thanks so much for all your concern this past week! And reviews, of course! Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I'm wondering, since I've been doing this thing for so long now, if I need to keep doing it. Oh well, you know I don't own Fairy Tail. That would be totally awesome though!**

Chapter Four

Lucy and the boy talked for a long time that night. Conversation seemed to come easily for the two, which is sort of strange because they had only just met. But Lucy didn't mind, and she was sure the boy was happy to get some company.

She liked him very much, in fact. He was different from most of the guys she had met. He seemed very open and yet, completely mysterious at the same time. She didn't quite understand it either.

"Do you live here?" Lucy finally asked him.

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Yes." he answered slowly. "But you'll only be able to see me every full moon."

The two sat in silence as Lucy thought about what he said. She decided not to ask any more questions regarding what seemed to be a touchy subject with him. "Oh, that's too bad. I really like talking with you." her face settled into a pout.

The pink haired boy turned to her once again. "You'll come back won't you Luce?" Lucy swore it almost sounded like pleading. "It gets awfully lonely here."

Her face broke into a brilliant wide smile. "Of course I'll come back! I know what it feels like to be lonely! I wouldn't want you to feel that way again."

Lucy yawned and rubbed her eyes. The boy smiled at her. "You're getting tired."

She protested. "No! No, it's just that I didn't get much sleep last night." her eyelids were fluttering and she kept blinking.

The boy rolled his eyes. "Luce, you're tired. Really, really tired."

'Luce.' She liked that name. She'd never had a nickname before. "No," she stated weakly. "I'm just, I'm just-" she trailed off, eyes closing.

The boy grinned. "Hey Luce. Look at me before I totally lose you." he took hold of her arm.

She opened her eyes, but just barely. He rolled his eyes once more. "Good enough, I guess. Look Luce, you can't tell anyone about tonight. Nobody, understand?" she nodded slightly. "You can't tell anyone you talked to me or even saw me." she nodded once again.

A thought struck Lucy's tired mind and she had to ask it before she was completely carried away. "Name."

The boy looked at her in confusion. "What?"

She repeated her request. "Your name."

He smiled. "Natsu. My name is Natsu."

She seemed satisfied and leaned against him, falling into deep sleep. Natsu chuckled and lifted her bridal style. She would catch a cold if she slept outside all night, that and Erza and Gray would question her, knowing that she'd been in the garden. He would have neither.

He quietly made his way through the garden and into the castle. He had to be extremely quiet, Erza had these amazing battle senses as did Gray and he really didn't feel like getting attacked tonight. He also couldn't risk Lucy getting hurt.

Luckily, Natsu knew which room she was staying in. He quietly opened the door and set Lucy on the bed. He pulled the thick comforter up over her and was about to leave the room when something white caught his eye.

A small snowman lay n the edge of Lucy's bed. That was new. He'd never seen a real live snowman before. It tossed fitfully in it's sleep and he quickly exited the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. He'd just have to remember to ask Lucy about it the next time he saw her.

Lucy opened her eyes just in time to see Natsu slipping out of her room. She smiled softly before closing her eyes and drifting into dreamland where blonde princesses were rescued by handsome pink-headed princes.

Normally, Lucy would have awoken to the sun shining through her window. However, the sun didn't shine into the windows of the cursed castle in the dead enchanted forest. No, instead, she was awakened by a loud crash followed by shouting.

Lucy sat straight up in bed, looking around frantically. "What was that? What's going on?" She quickly dressed and ran downstairs, Plue in tow.

Upon arriving on the scene, she discovered that Gray, who had been carrying a platter with eggs, toast, and biscuits to the table, had tripped and sent the food, and tray, flying. Apparently, it had landed on Erza, who had been waiting patiently for breakfast. Now, she was chasing Gray through the dining room with a rolling pin.

"This dress was one of my favorites!" Erza yelled, swinging the rolling pin haphazardly as she ran.

"It'll wash! It was just eggs and toast! It's not like it was gravy!" Gray yelled back while attempting to run and jump over the long table in the dining room.

He cleared it by about two inches and had put a good amount of distance between himself and the raging scarlet-haired woman waving a rolling pin. His short lived victory didn't last long however, as Erza, throwing aside all lady-like demeanor, jumped over the table after him.

Lucy noticed that a new platter filled with more eggs, biscuits, toast, and a something else had been set on the kitchen counter. She decided to help Gray out and cleared her throat. "Um, the food is ready." she pointed out, loud enough that the both of them could hear.

Erza and Gray stopped in mid-step. Gray eyed the tray hungrily and Erza raced upstairs to change her dress. Once she was back and seated, they served themselves and began to eat. They all ate heartily and declared it was a good meal.

When they were finished, Erza suggested that Lucy go to the library for a while. Lucy had eagerly agreed and had gone to the library right after breakfast. She had been reading a book on fairy tales when Erza had joined her.

"What are you reading Lucy?" Erza asked as she sat down on the sofa across from her friend.

Lucy smiled. "A book on fairy tales. I know it sounds childish, but I've always enjoyed them."

Erza picked up a novel she had been reading the day before. "Which one are you reading?"

"It's one about a princess who gets locked away in a tower guarded by a dragon. Lots of knights and princes come to rescue the princess, but the only one that can truly set her free is her true love. Romantic, isn't it?" Lucy smiled. Thoughts of handsome princes rescuing beautiful princesses from evil dragons floating through her head.

Erza smiled at her friend. An idea suddenly struck her. "I know a fairy tale as well. It's not very well known though."

Lucy looked at her with interest and Erza knew she had her full attention. She smiled. "Once upon a time, quite a while ago, there lived a handsome prince. He lived in a castle full of nice people and he had many friends. When the boy came to the age where he was old enough to marry, his father, the king, tried to arrange many marriages with rich girls all throughout the kingdom. But the prince refused each, for he loved only one girl."

Lucy smiled. "That's so sweet!"

Erza nodded, then continued. "The girl was sweet, kind, loving, and caring. She was also very pretty. She was a princess of a neighboring kingdom, and the two had grown up together. The prince loved her, and she loved him. The two were to be married the next spring."

Her face darkened. "But one day, the princess died. It was an accident, for everybody loved her of course. They mourned, especially the prince. After time, most everyone had moved on, except the prince. He became angry, bitter, and he didn't like to talk to anyone. His friends tried to comfort him, but he wouldn't have it."

Erza's face held a strange look and Lucy could swear that Erza had _lived _this story with the way she told it. It was so _real. _"Then one day, an old woman came to his castle seeking shelter. She was a powerful old witch, but a kind one. But when the prince opened the door and the woman asked if she could stay the night, he laughed and shut the door on her. Once, the prince would have happily let her inside and given her shelter for the night, treating her like she was close family, his own grandmother. But that time was past, for all that was left in his heart was bitterness."

Lucy sat, engrossed in the story and Erza's retelling. Erza herself seemed to be caught up in it like she was remembering old memories. "So the old woman who was a powerful witch cursed him and the castle. Two of his closest friends happened to be with him when it happened. They lived in the castle as well, and were cursed to stay there until the curse was broken."

Erza's eyes had wandered to the window as she spoke, and Lucy looked to see if there was anything particular she was looking at. She couldn't see anything that was really of interest. "The curse, keeps the prince and his two close friends forever confined to the castle and it's grounds until it's broken. And the only way to do that is for the prince to fall in love once again."

Lucy's eyes were wide and her hands gripped the skirt of her dress. "Erza, where did you hear that story? It's so, so, it's simply wonderful! And the way you told it! It was like you were reliving old memories! It was positively marvelous!"

Erza smiled slightly. "I hope that one day you'll find out, Lucy."

**Tada! What did you think? Did you like it? **

**I would like to thank all the wonderful reviewers, please, keep them coming!**

**They make my day and make me smile!**

**And also, thanks to all the voters! I'll show you the progress so far so that you may vote for which pairing you want for the next installment of this series. Here they are:**

**Jerza - 5**

**Gruvia - 6**

**GaLe - 5**

**As you can see folks, it's a tight race, with Gruvia pulling ahead by one! XD Keep the votes coming people, the next pairing depends on you! You should all know the procedure on how to vote by now, just mention the pairing you want to come next in your review or you can always PM me. **

**Oh, and I would like to inform you that my story has been qualified as 'moe'. Yes! Thanks you! Thank you! I'm honored!**

**Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review of course! No seriously, don't forget to review. **

**Until the next update, this is Sonata, signing out!**


	6. Chapter 5

**No, I'm not dead. I know it seemed that way, since I didn't update in like two weeks, but I'm not. You see, we have some people staying with us, and there are two kids who run me like crazy when I'm not doing school, homework, or sleeping. I wanted so badly to sit down and type this out...but I couldn't. Today, however, I was finally able to! So you may now read the fifth chapter!**

**Disclaimer: No, seriously, do I really have to keep doing this? We all know that I don't own Fairy Tail. Although I'd love to. **

**Enjoy!**

Chapter Five

The next month past rather slowly for Lucy. Her daily routine had become predictable and she could do it in her sleep. It wasn't exactly boring, it's just that when you do the same things every day, you tend to get tired of it.

But Lucy would never complain. She would always smile and go about her business happily. When she got up in the morning, she would get dressed, then head down to breakfast. After eating breakfast with Erza and Gray, and possibly helping Gray out of some mess he'd gotten into with Erza, she would read in the library for most of the morning.

Then, when the bell rang for lunch, she would put a marker in her book and head to the dining room. Once she had eaten lunch with her two companions and Plue, and again possibly help Gray out of some mess he'd gotten into with Erza, she would draw or do something of that sort. At three, she would have tea and a snack with Erza.

When they had finished tea, Lucy might take a nap or maybe read out loud to Plue and Erza until dinner time at six. After dinner, and once again helping Gray out of getting beaten by Erza, the four of them would talk and rest in the parlor or one of the drawing rooms. When she became too tired, Lucy would retire and go up to bed.

After dark was one of Lucy's favorite times, because she could sneak out to the garden for a while once Erza and Gray were asleep. She knew, as much as it disappointed her, that Natsu wouldn't be there as well, but she still went anyway. She eagerly awaited the night when she would see him once more.

It was on one of these such nights that she found something she never expected. It was a Wednesday night, after eleven, and Lucy was carefully finding her way along the dark corridor of the castle. Tonight was darker than most nights and Lucy had forgotten to bring a candle. Thankfully, she found her way, but not before stubbing her toe two or three times on furniture.

She smiled in relief when she reached the hallway where the door to the garden was located. She tiptoed past the kitchen. When she reached the other side of the doorway, she stopped. Had she just seen something...white? She frowned and shook her head. She was just imagining things.

Just as she reached for the knob of the door to the garden, she heard shuffling coming from the kitchen. Lucy froze. There was something or _someone_ in the kitchen! She quietly backtracked until she was standing in front of the door. She put her hand on it and pushed inward.

There, standing at the counter, was a girl with long white hair. She wore a long pink dress that swayed whenever she moved. Her back was turned to Lucy, so she couldn't see the girl's face or what she was doing.

Wait a minute. Hadn't Erza said that she'd been the only girl in Fairy Tail? Then...did that mean that she and Gray couldn't see this girl? Come to think of it, she did look awfully pale...which left only one explanation.

"Ghost!" Lucy shrieked and turned to run out of the room. She had to find Erza, Gray, somebody!

But before Lucy could get anywhere, a hand was clamped over her mouth and someone took hold of her wrists. She couldn't see who it was, but they were strong. The girl had turned around, a look of surprise on her pretty face.

"You can see me?" she asked Lucy quietly.

Lucy's eyes widened and she tried to get out of her captor's grip. The girl smiled. "I'll take that as a yes. Listen, I'm not a ghost. Honest. I'm Mira-jane. And that is Elfman behind you."

Lucy turned her head around slowly, afraid of what her 'captor' might look like or do. He looked like he was related to Mira-jane, well, sort of. He had spiky white hair and his skin contrasted with Mira's, his being tan and her's very pale. And to be honest, he was kind of scary looking. His face was all scarred up, something Lucy was not used to seeing.

She gulped and blinked, but she didn't scream. The more she looked at him, the less scary he seemed. Finally, she smiled. "Um, hello. I'm Lucy. It's nice to meet you?"

Elfman looked taken aback. "Uh, yes." then he broke into a grin and let Lucy go. "You didn't scream. That was so MANLY!" he yelled. Mira-jane quickly slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Shhhh! Elfman!" she whispered, frantically looking around. "We have to be quiet, remember?"

He nodded and she removed her hand. "Sorry Big Sis. I forgot about that."

Mira-jane smiled softly. "It's fine. We just have to be more careful." she turned to Lucy. "Actually, I'm amazed you can see us."

Lucy's eyes widened. "So, does that mean that, that you're ghosts after all?"

Mira-jane chuckled quietly. "No, no. That's not what I meant." her face sobered. "Lucy, how long have you been here?"

Lucy thought for a moment. When you live in a castle where time doesn't matter except for when meals are served, you kind of lose track. Her eyes brightened. "I know! I think it's been close to a month!"

Mira-jane nodded. "Then you know." It was not a question. It was a statement.

Lucy nodded in return. "Yes. I know. I know that this castle, Fairy Tail, is cursed and I can never leave until the curse is broken. But I'm okay with that. I'm not scared."

Mira-jane's face held a sad expression and she turned to the window. "Yes. But Lucy, you don't know the whole story." she whispered quietly to herself.

Lucy tilted her head. "What did you say Mira?"

The white haired girl turned back to her and smiled brightly. "Oh nothing. Just talking to myself! It becomes sort of a bad habit when no one can see you except Elfman here. Well, Elfman and Cana, but she's not here right now."

Lucy looked at her, confused. "But...I can see you."

Mira-jane sweat-dropped. "Yes. You can. I'm glad that you can." Lucy stared at her with a strange expression and Mira-jane laughed quietly. "I think I'd better explain. Have you ever wondered where your meals come from Lucy?"

Lucy thought for a moment. "Well, actually, yes. I mean, it's kind of weird that they just sort of show up whenever it's meal time. But Erza and Gray never mentioned it so I never asked."

Mira-jane smiled. "I make the meals and Elfman helps me."

Lucy's eyes widened. "You do? How come we never see you?"

Mira-jane laughed again. "It's just part of the curse I guess." her expression held loneliness. "I like being here with Elfman, honest I do, but it gets terribly lonely here, with just the two of us. Oh, and Cana, but like I said, she isn't here right now."

Lucy looked at her in sympathy, then something hit her. "Wait...if Erza and Gray can't see or hear you...then, why can I?"

Mira-jane tapped her chin with her index finger. "Honestly, I'm not sure. It's strange. Very strange." her eyes brightened and she smiled. "Cana might know! She knows more about the curse out of any of us, well, other than -" she cut herself off abruptly and a look of fear briefly crossed her face. It happened so quickly that Lucy almost missed it, but she saw it. The clear look of fear and distress. "Well, she knows more about it than Elfman and I do."

"But Big Sis, you know the same amount about the curse." Elfman put in.

Mira-jane cleared her throat and laughed nervously. "I might, but Cana is better at figuring these things out than I am."

Elfman gave her a strange look and she gave one right back to him. They seemed to reach some sort of mutual understanding and Elfman looked at Lucy. "But like Bis Sis said, Cana isn't here right now."

Mira-jane nodded when Lucy looked confused once more. "You see Lucy, Cana is the only one of us that can go in and out of the castle grounds. The curse affected her differently than the rest of us. She's the one who goes into town and buys the supplies that we can't grow here. Like flour and wheat, things like that. She can go out once a month. That's what the curse allows. And today, she left for the nearest town."

Lucy thought over all the new found information she had learned. Cana was, apparently, the only member of the cursed castle household, who was able to leave, even if it was only once a month. She was also the only other person able to see Mira-jane and Elfman, and she herself was invisible to Erza and Gray.

She wondered if maybe Natsu was invisible as well, and that no one knew about him. She didn't feel like she should ask though. Something told her not to. And she had also promised him that she wouldn't tell anyone they had met.

Suddenly, she remembered that she had come down to go out to the garden. If she didn't hurry, she would be too late and wouldn't be able to go out tonight. It wasn't that there was an enchantment on the garden or anything, but she didn't want anyone to know, it was her secret. Well, hers and Natsu's.

She turned to Mira-jane again. "I'll be back in two days to see you. I promise. I don't want you to be lonely anymore."

Mira-jane's eyes lit up and she looked at Lucy hopefully. "Really Lucy? You mean it?"

Lucy nodded quickly. "I mean it. I promise, and I always make it a point to keep my promises."

She bade Mira and Elfman goodnight and slipped out of the kitchen quietly. The garden door was the last door down the corridor and she silently made her way toward it. She sighed in relief when she had made it out the door and shut it quietly behind her.

She smiled when the moonlight hit her face as she walked toward her favorite bench in the garden. When she reached it, she bent down to smell the black roses that surrounded her. It was a mystery to her why they smelled like licorice, maybe Natsu would know.

A look of sadness crossed her face as she gazed up at the moon through the dead trees. Even though she had only seen him once, she missed him terribly. And having to wait until the next full moon was even harder.

She smiled as she remembered how he wasn't like the other men and boys she had known. Neither was Gray really, but she liked Natsu better for some reason. Her smile softened. He had been kind and sweet, a giggle escaped her lips as she thought of when he appeared in front of her after they had argued and she had teased him.

He had been handsome as well. Sure, he looked different, what with his pointy teeth, and _pink_ hair that stuck up in all directions, somehow defying the laws of gravity, but she liked him just the way he was.

And he had given her a nickname. _Luce. _She giggled again. She had never had a nickname before. She shut her eyes and leaned back against the bench. No, no one had ever called her anything but Princess before. She hadn't even liked it. But Natsu, Natsu had called her by her real name, and then, he had given her a nickname. She liked it, really liked it. And she decided that no one except Natsu would ever get to call her that.

She frowned slightly, remembering the pleading tone in his voice when he begged her to come again. He had seemed so _lonely. _She knew what it was like to be lonely, and for some strange reason she couldn't bear the thought of Natsu being lonely. So she had promised to come again. And she would, always.

While she had been thinking, Lucy had slowly been losing the battle to fight off sleep. One last thought drifted through her head before she was totally gone. She had fallen asleep in the garden. But she had woken up the next morning in her bed. Her sleep infested brain racked itself for answers, and, just before she drifted off to sleep, she came to the only conclusion she could think of.

_'Natsu.'_

Lucy's body went limp as she finally lost the battle with sleep and drifted into dreamland. What she hadn't noticed, however, was that someone had been watching her the entire time. In fact, every time she had come out to the garden, a silent presence watched over her.

A figure stepped out of the shadows once they were certain that Lucy was really asleep. The moon shone down on Lucy's silent protector, revealing a head of spiky, gravity defying pink hair. He bent over Lucy. "Idiot." he whispered in her ear. "You'll catch a cold if you sleep out here."

The moonlight illuminated his face, revealing a soft look in the boy's eyes. His mouth curved into a small smile. He picked Lucy up bridal style and carried her inside, once again placing the sleeping girl in her bed.

**I would like to apologize for any spelling errors. I did not have time to read this through after I wrote it and it's ten twenty-one p.m. here at my house and my eyes are bloodshot, or at least I'm pretty sure. **

**So, that was something I bet you weren't expecting. Honestly, neither was I. But what can I say? I had to type it up quickly when I only had a vague idea of what I wanted to happen. That and I hardly got reviews for the last chapter. Seriously, reviews keep my inspiration flowing. That made no sense. What I mean is, the more reviews, the better I'll feel about this story and it's progression. I really enjoy writing it and I love getting reviews. **

**Since it is so late here at my house, I will not be typing out how many votes I have received for the next pairing. But, remember, YOU decide. Here are your choices:**

**Jerza**

**Gruvia**

**GaLe**

**Because they are who I ship. **

**Have you read the latest chapter of One Direction Infection!? It was awesome, as is the story in general. You should read it. We love NaLu!**

**I was not exactly pleased with this chapter. Hardly. But it was a quick typed one. I'll have to think about it. Anyway, what did you think of this chapter, last chapter, or the story in general? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Heck, even your complaints, although I hope you don't have any. Review and tell me what you think.**

**Don't forget to follow, favorite, and especially review!**

**Until the next update, this is Sonata, signing out!**


	7. Chapter 6

**So, I realized after I posted the last chapter, that I had no idea where this story was going. So, after I posted it, I sat down and wrote out the main ideas of what I wanted to happen. So, think of this as sort of a filler chapter. **

**Oh! And a new character appears! Who is it? Not telling. You'll just have to read and find out!**

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Fairy Tail, or the story of Beauty and the Beast. I wouldn't mind owning Fairy Tail though. Not at all. **

Chapter Six

The next morning, Lucy awoke to a knock on her bedroom door. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, then swung her legs over the edge of the bed. There was another knock on her door. "I'll be right there." she called to the person at the door.

She turned the knob and swung the door open, revealing an impatient looking Erza. "Lucy!"

Lucy immediately stood at attention. "Y-yes?"

Erza looked her over. First, she surveyed Lucy in the front, then, she slowly walked around her. Her eyes held a certain look in them and Lucy was sure that Erza could see through to her soul. It also made her very nervous. She knew how Erza could be, you know, from helping Gray out all those times.

Lucy cleared her throat. "Um, good morning Erza. How are you today?"

The scarlet-haired girl stopped and came face to face with Lucy once more. "I'm fine. Thank you Lucy."

Lucy nodded. "May I ask what you're doing?" she gulped nervously.

Erza still looked like something very grave had happened. "Lucy, Plue came into my room last night. He was scared because you weren't here when he woke up. Then, when I came in, you still hadn't returned. Where were you Lucy?"

Lucy smiled nervously. She hated to lie. Lying was dishonest. You should never lie. But she couldn't exactly tell Erza where she was either. She chewed on her lip. If she took too long to answer, Erza would get suspicious.

"Well," she racked her brain to think of an excuse. "I got thirsty and wanted a drink of water, then, I accidentally got lost on my way back." Lucy mentally kicked herself for coming up with what she thought must be the world's worst excuse so she shivered, trying to make it more convincing. "It gets dark and scary down there at night."

Erza nodded, she seemed to believe Lucy's story, or at least that's what Lucy hoped. Suddenly, she smiled. "Well, it's time for breakfast. You should get dressed and come down!" And with, that, the scarlet-haired girl disappeared.

Lucy leaned against the door frame and sighed in relief. She didn't know what Erza would have done if she really knew where Lucy had been. She shuddered, it wasn't something she wanted to think about. Erza was actually very nice, but when you disobeyed the rules, or broke something, she became very, _very scary. _

She looked back to see Plue just waking up. She felt bad for leaving him all alone at night, so she decided to make it up to him. Or at least to try. She walked over and sat down next to him. Plue looked up at her.

Lucy smiled apologetically. "I'm so sorry I left you alone last night Plue. I guess I should tell you the truth. But you have to promise not to tell anyone, okay?" Plue nodded. Lucy took a deep breath. "You know that rose garden we can see from our window? Well, that's where I was. It all started a month ago, really. I wanted to take a closer look at the roses, so I quietly stole downstairs. It took me a while to find the door, but I finally did. It was so beautiful Plue! It wasn't exactly normal, because the black roses smelled like licorice, but it was wonderful!"

Plue hummed his agreement and gave Lucy a hug, signifying that he forgave her. Nikolas don't hold grudges, and Plue was one of the best. She patted his head and smiled. "Now, aren't you hungry?"

After Lucy dressed, they descended the stairs to find Erza waiting for them in the dining room. The table was set and the food looked delicious. There was only one thing missing. Gray.

Lucy looked around carefully. Maybe the black haired boy was hiding from Erza again. Or maybe he was sick. Or he could be sleeping in. She shook her head at the thought. Gray would _never _miss a meal. She decided to ask Erza.

Taking a seat across from said girl, Lucy smiled. "Erza?"

Erza looked up. "Yes Lucy?"

"Where's Gray this morning? He isn't sick is he?"

Erza shook her head. "No, he isn't sick." she paused, a brief look of anxiety crossing her face. "He's, he's just, he's meeting with the master this morning."

Lucy smiled. "Oh, alright. I'm glad he's okay."

Erza nodded, but muttered under her breath, "Or at least I hope so."

Of course, Lucy didn't hear Erza's worried remark as she was happily chewing away on a piece of french toast. She smiled. Mira-jane made excellent food. There was something that she missed though. A vanilla milkshake. Lucy's mouth watered at the thought.

Back when she used to sneak off and go to Magnolia, she would go to her favorite restaurant and order a vanilla milkshake. They used to make the best vanilla milkshakes, and whenever Lucy was troubled, and she was able to sneak out, she would go and order one.

Maybe she would ask Mira about it the next time she visited the kitchen. Lucy also liked cookies. Now, she was not gluttonous, and she was not fat, hardly so, but there was just something about cookies that was so appealing to the blonde, that she couldn't just take one. She already knew that Mira made the best cookies in the kingdom, as she'd had some for tea and lunch before.

Lucy hummed as she took another bite of her french toast. She'd finally made it to the garden without anyone seeing her. She smiled behind her piece of french toast. She'd been thinking about Natsu again, that was happening a lot lately.

But last night, last night she was thinking about things like how cute he was and how much she liked him and the nickname he'd given her. _'Wait! What? I've only seen him _once_ and now I'm gushing over him like some sort of fangirl?! I can't believe this!'_

She blushed and Erza looked at her strangely. "Lucy? Are you alright? Your face is so red. You don't have a fever do you? This isn't good! Hold on! I'll check!" Erza was at her side instantly and she put a hand to Lucy's forehead.

Lucy was slightly taken by surprise. "N-no. I don't have a fever. Honestly, I'm fine."

Erza looked down at the blonde. "If you say so." she took her seat once again, but carefully watched Lucy as she ate.

Lucy let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. _'Hold on. I was thinking about Natsu, but I must have fallen asleep.' _Her eyes widened. _'B-but, I woke up in my bed this morning!' _Her fork clattered on her plate as she had dropped it in her revelation.

Erza's head shot up from her glass, only to see a startled looking Lucy whose eyes were wide open and whose mouth was hanging open. Her hand still extended halfway to her mouth from holding her fork.

Lucy's mind was in turmoil. _'How? How could I have fallen asleep on the bench last night only to wake up in my bed this morning? It makes no sense! I don't sleep walk!' _Somehow, amidst the inner turmoil of her thoughts, she remembered that Natsu had carried her to her bed before. She sighed in relief. _"That must be the answer. No one else knew I was out there.' _

Lucy came back to reality only to find Erza staring at her with a worried expression. Lucy blinked. "Are you alright Erza?"

Erza looked at Lucy in disbelief. "Y-yes. I'm fine. But Lucy, are _you_ alright?"

Lucy raised a brow in confusion. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Well, you just dropped your fork all of a sudden and you had a startled look on your face. That, and you've seemed kind of out of it all morning."

Lucy laughed nervously. "Really, Erza, I'm fine. I just remembered something startling, that's all."

Erza still looked confused, but went along with Lucy's excuse for the second time that morning. Lucy made sure that Plue got a full plate of food, and after the three finished eating, Erza informed them that she was going to her room for a while.

Lucy decided to go to the library for a while and read. But on her way there, she accidentally took a wrong turn and ended up in a hallway she had never been in before. She cursed herself silently for making such a mistake. Now, she and Plue were lost and Erza and Gray weren't there to help them.

She looked down at Plue. "Well, we might as well start looking in the rooms. We aren't going to get anywhere just standing here."

The first door opened to reveal a drawing room, and the second proved to be a tea room. Lucy and Plue had a fun time opening the doors and looking in the different rooms. They varied greatly, even though they were mostly the same thing.

By the time they reached the third hallway since they had gotten lost, they had opened around thirty doors, which half of them proved to be drawing rooms or empty bedrooms. Although, Lucy was pretty sure that three of the rooms looked lived in. She decided they must be Mira, Elfman, and Cana's rooms.

She had enjoyed exploring at first, but they had been lost for quite sometime now, and she was getting tired. She sighed as she opened another door. This room was different from the rest. There was a canopy bed up against the wall, two nightstands stood on either side of the bed, and the room was filled with other regular bedroom furnishings.

But that wasn't what was different about the room. Lucy sniffed the air, and Plue followed suit. It smelled like...fish. Lucy made a face. Why would a room smell like fish? She knew there were a lot of mysteries about the castle, but this one was just...weird.

She walked into the middle of the room, trying to find the source of the fish smell. She sniffed again, and followed the trail to the wardrobe. She looked back at Plue, who had followed her into the room. Then she reached for the handle.

She threw the door open, only to have fish fall out at her feet. She squealed and hurriedly backed up. In her haste, her foot became tangled in the rug and she fell back onto the bed. She let out a yell as she tumbled onto the fluffy blue comforter.

She sighed in relief, quite glad that she hadn't fallen to the floor. She felt something move beside her and froze. What would be moving in the bed? She looked across the room and saw that Plue was still standing in the middle of the floor. She gulped and slowly turned her head to find the source of the movement.

A pair of eyes stared back at her. Lucy screamed and fell off the bed.

"Ow..." she mumbled.

When she opened her eyes, she found the other pair staring back at her again. "What are you doing here?" said a scary sounding voice. Well, or at least the person was trying to sound scary, they didn't really succeed.

Lucy put her hands up, her vision still blurry from the hit her head had taken. So she wasn't able to see the owner of the eyes staring back at her. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to walk in on you, or fall on you while you were sleeping. It was an accident, honest! I got lost and ended up here."

Her vision was finally clearing. She blinked a couple of times. Was that something...blue? Suddenly, her vision came back to her and she was finally able to see the owner of the voice.

A blue cat stood before her, on two feet, and looking right at her. "Who are you?" it asked.

Lucy smiled, then, she pointed at the blue cat. "It's a _blue cat and it talks!_" she yelled before promptly fainting from the shock and the hit she had taken to her head.

**So yeah...I didn't like how this came out, well, except for the ending part. But like I said, it's sort of a filler, that and I wasn't really sure how to introduce Happy. I apologize for spelling errors as well as grammar errors. I really need to get a Beta Reader. Anyone interested? **

**What did you think? I'd love to know!**

**I have not received very many votes for the next pairing. Remember, their fate is in your hands! Here are your choices:**

**Jerza**

**Gruvia**

**GaLe**

**Because they are who I ship. Well, and of course NaLu! But this is a story about them.**

**You should know how to vote by now, but in case you don't, I will explain. **

**To vote for the pairing for the next fairy tale, you can PM me, or mention it in your review!**

**Thank you to all the lovely people who have reviewed, followed, and favorited (I know it's not a word. I don't care)!**

**Don't forget to favorite, follow, and review!**

**Until the next update, this is Sonata, signing out!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Wow! Didn't I just update yesterday? Who knew I could get one up this fast? I had fun writing this chapter and I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Fairy Tail. Haven't we established that by now? **

Chapter Seven

"_Idiot." a voice whispered in her ear. "You'll catch a cold if you sleep out here." _

Lucy's eyes opened wide and she sat straight up in bed. Where was she? Who had said that to her? Her hands flew to her head. It ached terribly. She blinked. Once. Twice. Where was she? The last thing she remembered happening had something to do with the smell of fish and a blue talking cat.

Lucy smiled. _'Of course. I'm in Fairy Tail. Plue and I were exploring because we got lost and I opened a door and smelled fish. And then I tripped and accidentally fell on the blue talking cat. Wait. The blue talking cat?!'_

"Lucy! You're alright!" Erza rushed over to her. "Do you feel bad? Where does it hurt?"

Lucy raised her hands and laughed, only to wince at the pain that shot through her head. "I'm okay. My head just hurts." she noticed a plate of cookies by her bed and smiled. She'd have to thank Mira later.

Erza sighed in relief but still looked concerned. She turned to the door. "Happy. Come here and apologize to Lucy." she sternly commanded.

Lucy looked at the door in confusion. She heard a meek, "Y-yes Erza." and a small blue cat walked into the room. Lucy's eyes widened.

She pointed at it once again. "You're that cat from before! You talk! And you're blue!"

The blue cat was staring down at the floor. It shuffled uneasily. "I'm sorry I scared you Lushy."

Lucy smiled and laughed. Causing both Erza and the blue cat to look at her in surprise. "Yeah. Sorry about that. I know I scared you too." she stuck her hand out. "I'm Lucy, but you already know that. And you are?"

The blue cat smiled and walked over to her. It shook her hand. "My name is Happy. You're not scared of me?"

Lucy laughed again. "Are you kidding me? You're a talking blue cat! That is so cool! You're an exceed right? I've heard of your kind before. I didn't know there was one living here though!"

To Erza's complete surprise, Lucy and Happy continued to talk happily. It was an interesting sight. A blue talking cat conversing with a blonde girl from the outside world.

"You can fly to can't you, Happy?" Lucy asked.

Happy nodded then, he was up in the air, his white wings spread wide. "See Lushy?"

Lucy and Plue looked on in awe as the exceed flew about the room. After he landed back on the bed, Lucy and Plue clapped. "Wow. Exceeds are rare, aren't they Happy?"

Happy nodded again, a little sadness in his eyes. "Aye. My kind is rare."

Lucy smiled and patted Happy on his back. "I'm sorry Happy. But just so you know, you can always play with Plue."

The two talked for a while longer before Happy and Plue left to get a snack. Erza remained in her chair beside Lucy's bed. She looked at Lucy. "What were you doing in the corridor Happy lives in anyway?"

Lucy blushed from embarrassment. "I got lost on my way to the library." she said quietly.

Erza looked at her with sympathy. "It's fine, Lucy. When I was younger, I became lost frequently too. I did grow up in this castle, however, and so that doesn't happen anymore. You'll get used to it. Don't worry." her face became serious. "But you have to promise me something Lucy."

Lucy looked at Erza. "Yes, what is it?"

Erza's voice was stern as she spoke. "You must promise me that you'll never wander or go into the West Wing of the castle. You have to promise me Lucy."

Lucy's looked at her in confusion but nodded. "I promise."

Erza smiled a bit. "Good. That's good."

Lucy looked at the clock and gave a start. "It's almost dinner time! I missed lunch! I'm starving!"

Erza chuckled. "Yes. You were out for quite some time. I'll go out and you can dress for dinner. That is, if you're up to coming down. If not, I can have Happy bring you up a tray."

Lucy shook her head. "No, that's alright. I'll be down in a few minutes."

Erza left and Lucy got out of bed and walked over to her wardrobe. The words she had heard before she'd woken up still running through her head. She frowned as she pulled out a light pink dress with dark pink lace.

"I'm pretty sure that was Natsu's voice. But, it must have been from last night, when I fell asleep in the garden. I wonder why I didn't remember it until now? Of course, I could have just been dreaming, but I'm sure that it was real."

Her eyes wandered to her window. A full moon shone through the black dead trees and Lucy smiled. Tonight she would get to see him again. Or course, she'd have to wait until Mira-jane and Elfman were in their rooms. She was pretty sure Cana wouldn't be back for another night or two, so she wouldn't have to worry about that.

She decided that she would leave a note for Mira in the kitchen, thanking her for the cookies. Then, she would sneak down the corridor and out the garden door. It wold be easy to slip out of the castle without anyone knowing, that is of course, because of all the practice she'd had sneaking out of her father's mansion.

Lucy quickly pulled on the dress and headed downstairs to the dining room. Erza, Plue, and now Happy were already seated and waiting for her. She took her seat and they began their evening meal. Lucy glanced at Gray's empty spot. He was still nowhere to be seen.

She looked over at Erza. "Gray, has he eaten at all today? I know that you said he was meeting with the master, but we haven't seen him all day." the hint of worry was very evident in her voice, as well as in Erza's eyes when she looked back at Lucy.

"It doesn't usually take this long." the scarlet-haired girl mumbled quietly, more to herself than to anyone else. "He's usually back by now."

Dinner was unusually quiet that night, as the two girls didn't really feel like talking. Time seemed to pass so slowly, and Erza kept glancing at the big grandfather clock. Lucy played with her food more than she actually ate any of it. One question ran through the minds of the four present at the dinner table.

_Where was Gray? _

Suddenly, a resounding bang was heard, startling the four who were attempting to salvage their appetites. It was soon followed by a loud crash and yell. Then, Gray came hurtling through the dining room doors at maximum speed.

Lucy and Erza both let out a 'KYA' and ducked as he hurtled over their heads. He crashed into a side table soon after. Happy stood up on the dining table and held his arms in an 'x' motion. "Safe!" he called out.

Lucy's head appeared from under the table. "Is it okay to come out now?" she asked meekly.

Erza stood up from her previous position of being sprawled out on the floor. She cleared her throat and dusted off her dress. "Well, I'm glad no one was hurt."

Gray's anguished moan was heard from the left side of the room and Happy chuckled a little. "You mean besides Gray?"

Lucy's hand flew to her mouth when Happy mentioned the flying boy. She stood up and quickly hurried to his side but stopped short and stared at him strangely. Gray opened one eye. "Lucy, what is it? I thought you were going to help me!" he coughed a little at this statement.

But Lucy just continued to stare at him. Her eyes were sort of squinted and her mouth was open a bit. It was like she saw something that confused her, but she didn't really know how to react to it. Finally, she spoke.

"Gray, where are your clothes?"

All three heads turned in the direction of the blonde and the boy in his boxers. Gray's eyes widened and he looked down.

"What the hell?! Where did they go?" he immediately jumped up, all previous injuries forgotten in an attempt to find his lost clothes.

Lucy looked at him like he'd lost it. "You mean you didn't know that you weren't wearing any clothes? How could you not know?"

Gray just shot her an exasperated look, confusing her even more. Erza walked over to her and put a hand on the blonde's shoulder. She was shaking her head, and yet there was clearly an amused smile on her face.

"Gray has sort of an unconscious stripping habit. Nobody really knows why he does it, or how he does it without knowing, but he does." her smile widened. "And he hasn't done it in years."

Lucy looked at the scarlet-haired girl standing next to her. "Then why now, of all times?"

Erza crossed her arms and her expression turned smug. "Because the curse is slipping."

Gray froze. Happy abruptly spit out the fish he was eating. Plue dropped the spoon he had been playing with. And Lucy stared at Erza wide eyed. "You don't mean..." Happy trailed off at the end of his sentence.

"You were fighting, weren't you Gray?" the wide eyed boy nodded his head, mouth hanging open. "You haven't fought since Fairy Tail was cursed. It was the same with your unconscious stripping habit. Like I said, the curse is slipping. I'm not sure why, and I don't know how, but it's happening. Happy was able to fly earlier as well. He probably didn't think much about it at the time, but he hasn't done that since this place was cursed either."

All heads turned to the speechless blue exceed. He blinked a couple of times. "Aye! You're right! That's the great Erza for you!" he yelled happily.

Lucy looked at Happy in confusion. "Hey now, what's with the 'great'?"

But the exceed ignored her and did some sort of strange happy dance on the dining room table. Plue waved the spoon around gleefully and Gray, who was still speechless, just stood there staring at the four of them.

Erza slammed her hands down on the table top and grinned. "Well," she yelled, "We should celebrate!"

Gray crossed his arms and shook his head, a smirk forming on his face. "I never would have thought that the curse would slip." he laughed. "Guess I was wrong."

Lucy smiled, then looked at Gray again. "Gray, you're still missing your clothes."

He looked down and let out a yell once more, causing everyone else to laugh. Lucy heard other voices as well and looked toward the kitchen. Mira-jane and Elfman stood in the doorway, laughing to their hearts content.

Mira-jane stopped when she saw Lucy looking at them and smiled. Lucy shot Mira a smile and the two erupted in laughter once again. Lucy smiled. She couldn't wait to tell Natsu about what had happened.

**So, I would once again like to apologize for any grammar mistakes or spelling errors. We all know that I never feel like reading over it when I'm finished typing. **

**I think I received three reviews for the last chapter. Is it really that bad guys? I'm sorry if you don't like it. Honestly, I am. **

**Thank you to all those who have favorited (Yes, I know. Still not a word. I still don't care.), followed and reviewed. When I checked my email this morning, I had like, forty-four emails notifying me of all the wonderful people who added myself, my stories, to their favorites and are now following them. **

**Did you know, this story has been qualified as moe? I was honored. And then, this morning, I read a review that said that this should have been entered in The Best Fairy Tail Fanfic of 2012. I thought I was going to cry. I was completely blown through the roof. Just...wow. **

**What pairing should I use for my next fairy tale? You choose! Here are your choices:**

**Jerza**

**Gruvia**

**GaLe**

**Because they are who I ship, as well as NaLu, I really, really ship NaLu. **

**You know how to vote! So please do!**

**Also, I wrote a one-shot yesterday that you might like. It's called Warmth. It's NaLu of course. You should check it out.**

**What did you think about this chapter, last chapter, or the story in general?**

**I'd love to know. Reviews keep this story going. **

**Don't forget to favorite, follow, and of course review!**

**Until the next update, this is Sonata, signing out!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Hey! I'm back! We no longer have extra people living with us, so I'll be able to update regularly again! Yay right? Anyway, here's the next chapter! It's shorter than I wanted it to be, but the next one will be longer, I promise. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, or the story of Beauty and the Beast. It would be nice to own Fairy Tail though. **

Chapter Eight

After a celebration of chocolate cake, ice cream, and a big bowl of punch, the five finally retired and went to bed. Lucy had to wait until she was sure that Mira and Elfman were no longer in the kitchen before she could slip out to the garden.

When she was completely sure they were no longer there, she slipped out of her room and down the stairs. She expertly dodged any furniture that was in her way. It wasn't hard for her anymore because she'd done it so many times that she knew the way by heart.

She smiled when she finally made it out the door to the garden. Clouds passed over the full moon, temporarily making it hard for her to see. She frowned slightly as she tried to find her way through the garden. It wasn't easy, because she had all the roses to worry about.

Suddenly, she tripped on a loose cobblestone and fell. She tried to catch herself, but only ended up making things worse by grabbing onto a thick rosebush. She let out a cry of pain and let go, realizing too late that she would fall to the stone pathway.

Strong arms caught her before she hit the path and she opened her eyes to see who it was. Some moonlight streamed through the clouds and she caught a glimpse of pink hair. She smiled. "Natsu." She reached up to brace herself on his shoulder but let out a small cry. She quickly drew her hand back to her chest.

Natsu looked down in concern. "Lucy, let me see." She shook her head and he frowned. "Come on Luce, let me see." She reluctantly held out her hand to him and he took it carefully in his. His frown deepened when he saw it.

Blood streamed down Lucy's arm from the large cut on her hand. Also, there were smaller cuts on the palm as well, making matters worse. He looked up at Lucy, who looked as if she was trying hard to keep from crying.

He let go of her hand. "I'll be right back Luce, don't go anywhere." and with that, he disappeared into the dark.

Lucy bit her lip. The pain was unbelievable. She looked back at the bush she had grabbed when she fell. Blood dripped off one of the thorns onto the cobblestone path, staining it red. Her mouth quivered. She watched as another drop fell to the ground. Then another, and another.

She looked down at her hand and her eyes widened. Apparently she had tilted her injured hand, and now there was a small puddle of blood collecting at her feet. She quickly took a step back.

Natsu returned shortly after, and took Lucy's hand in his once again. He cleaned the wound and wrapped it, being extremely careful as he did so. Lucy watched him while he worked, fascinated.

When he was finished, he stepped back and gave her a wide grin. "Remember Luce? You have to be careful."

Lucy crossed her arms, cautious of her injured hand, and huffed. "The moon was behind the clouds and I couldn't see. I tripped over a loose stone and fell. I had to grab hold of something to keep from falling. Although a rose bush isn't exactly ideal." she mumbled the last sentence.

Natsu laughed a little. "You're so weird Luce."

She lightly punched his shoulder. "Hey!"

His smile softened. "But I like you."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Well I'd hope so. I'm coming here every full moon to meet you, so you'd better like me."

The two walked over to the bench where, the night before, Lucy had fallen asleep. Lucy sat down first, soon after followed by Natsu. "Hey, I have a question." Natsu looked over at her.

"Yeah?"

Lucy looked him in the eye. "Was it you who took me to my room last night?"

Natsu quickly averted eye contact. "No." he rubbed the back of his neck.

Lucy rolled her eyes once more. "Cut it out Natsu. You're a horrible liar. And anyway, I know it was you. You're the only person who knows that I come out here at night."

Natsu looked back at her and gave her a sheepish smile. "Well, if you had slept out here, then you would have caught a cold. And also, people would know that you were here. Remember, it's a secret."

Lucy smiled back at him. Suddenly, she noticed something she never had before. "Natsu...why are you wearing a scarf? Winter isn't for another month, and it's not cold."

He made a funny face. "So?"

She raised an eyebrow. "So why are you wearing a scarf?"

Natsu crossed his arms and leaned back against the bench. "Just because it isn't winter, doesn't mean you can't wear a scarf. Besides, it;s special to me. You could call it a treasure."

Lucy propped her chin on her uninjured hand. "Really?"

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Yeah, really. It was a gift. From my father."

Lucy smiled. "Oh, I see."

Natsu turned his head back to her. "Do you have anything that's important to you? I mean, something that's special to you?"

Lucy sighed and looked up at the sky. A small smile found it's way to her face when she saw a few stars in the dense blackness. "Not really. My mother died when I was a little girl. And my father...well, let's just say that we didn't see eye to eye. But, there is something that I've always loved."

Natsu had a puzzled expression on his face. "Really? What?"

Lucy pointed to the sky and Natsu's gaze followed her outstretched arm. "The stars." she whispered quietly. "I've always loved the stars."

A million stars twinkled above the two as they watched. Natsu stared in awe. He'd seen stars before, sure, but it was different with Lucy. He wasn't sure why, but he liked the feeling that he got.

Lucy's smile widened. "Look! There's Aquarius! And that one's Taurus! An there's Loke!"

Natsu looked at her in confusion. "What?"

Lucy blushed. "I mean, there's the water bearer, the cow, and the lion."

Natsu's eyes narrowed. "You called them Aquarius, Taurus, and Loke."

Lucy avoided eye contact. "I did not."

Natsu's eyes narrowed even more and he leaned towards her. "Yes you did. I heard you. You're a horrible liar Luce."

She looked up at him, a bright pink blush evident on her face. "I-I named them." she said quietly.

Natsu smiled. "You named the stars?"

She pouted. "Yes. I did. Is that so wrong?'

He laughed. "No, no. It's not. I like it. They're fitting names."

Lucy grinned back at him. "I know."

They sat in quiet for a little while before Lucy spoke again. "Hey Natsu, you're scarf kind of looks like dragon scales."

He grinned at her. "I know."

"Why?" she asked, completely puzzled.

Natsu smiled. "'Cause my father was a dragon."

Lucy stared at him. He had said that with a completely straight face. And he said it so sincerely, she just couldn't believe he was joking with her. "Really? Like, for real?"

"Yeah, for real. Not my actual father, like, you know, my how do you say it? H yeah, biological dad, but he was my real dad. If you get what I mean." Natsu explained.

Lucy nodded her head and smiled. "Yeah, I understand."

He looked back up at the sky. "Igneel took me in when I was just a kid. Apparently, he found me wandering around in some forest all by myself, no sign of anyone for miles. He took me in and raised me." Natsu's voice became quiet. "He left a long time ago, I haven't seen him in forever, but I know he's still out there somewhere. When I was younger, he gave me this scarf."

Lucy smiled softly. "I'm sorry he left, but he'll be back one day, I'm sure. Either that, or you'll find him. I'm sure you will."

Natsu looked at her in surprise then he smiled. "Yeah. You're right Luce." he grinned. "Honestly, I was kind of expecting a different reaction from you."

Lucy leaned back and sighed, and amused look on her face. "Honestly, after living here for a month, nothing surprises me anymore."

Natsu laughed. "What do you mean Luce?"

Lucy looked at him. "A cursed castle called Fairy Tail that's full of mysteries, a scary scarlet-haired woman who's rather violent at times, an unconsciously stripping young man who gets into trouble all of the time, black roses that smell like licorice, a flying talking blue cat, and _you. _A mysterious pink-headed boy who I can only visit when the full moon is out. What do you think I mean?"

Natsu laughed again. "Well, you know what they say, this world is full of surprises."

Lucy nodded. "Yes. Yes it is."

**So...what did you think? She met with Natsu again! Whoo hoo! You were all waiting for that, I know. I also know I have a lot of explaining to do to make this story understandable. I have been asked several questions, and I just want to let you know that, somehow, in some way, it will all be explained later in the story. Even though I'm not sure how yet. It will, I promise.**

**I would like to apologize for any grammar and/or spelling errors and mistakes. Because we all know that I just need to get a Beta or something because I never feel like reading over the chapter when I'm finished. **

**(._.) to the window, (/._./) to the wall, so many reviews! I love them all! **

**Now, it's your turn to choose who you want for the next pairing. You know how it works. Here are your choices:**

**Jerza**

**Gruvia**

**GaLe**

**Because I ship them, and NaLu, always NaLu.**

**Please vote! Even if you've already voted! **

**Okay. I have a goal. I would like it if this story was able to get 100 reviews before the first of February! Do you think you can do it? I'd really love that. **

**Also, how would you like it if I wrote a special one-shot, or maybe two, for NaLu? **

**Thanks to all those who have followed, favorited (still not a word, I still do not care), and reviewed! You're all so kind!**

**Please follow, favorite, and review! And don't forget to vote for your favorite pairing!**

**Until the next update, this is Sonata, signing out!**


	10. Chapter 9

** Oh my word...I know it's been WAY too long since I've updated! But please don't murder me! I got stuck on this chapter four months ago and didn't know how to start or finish it, so I didn't even attempt to try. But I'm back! And better than ever! I hope...**

** You've all been so patient with me. Even though I know you were probably thinking in your head, "That Sonata. How could she do this to us? Leave us with a chapter like that and then not update for FOUR freaking months! How dare she!"**

** I'm so sorry! But the good news is that I've finally figured out how to get to where I want this story to go. It's going to end in a few chapters, and then I'll start the next fairy tale. Heads up, it's going to be either Jerza or Gruvia. They're winning the votes so far.**

** What I'm going to do when The Princess and the Dragon ends, is turn this into a sort of fairy tale book. There will be all sorts of wonderful stories! NaLu, Jerza, Gruvia, GaLe being the main character pairings. I'll do several different fairy tales (my own way, of course). So there WILL be more NaLu coming. Don't worry. ;)**

** And now, the chapter you've all been waiting for (for so very long)!**

Chapter Nine

"Lucy, the Master wishes to see you." Erza fidgeted nervously with the skirt of her dress.

Gray choked on the lemonade he was drinking. "W-what?"

Lucy stared at the scarlet-haired woman, wide-eyed. "T-the Master?"

Erza nodded. She looked nervous as well. That couldn't be good.

Plue looked up at Lucy in concern and Happy gaped at her.

"The Master." she mumbled.

Erza reached out a hand. "Come with me, we have to dress you up in your best."

Lucy took her hand and Erza led her up the grand staircase to her room. Lucy sat on the bed while Erza rifled through her wardrobe. She pulled out a yellow dress with orange trim and held it up. Then she stuck it back in the wardrobe.

"U-um Erza? What's the Master like?" Lucy asked, twiddling her thumbs.

Erza stopped for a minute. "He's...he's been bitter for a long time. He was angry, at the world, I guess you could say." she smiled softly. "He lost someone very dear to him. Very dear to all of us, actually. It was a long time ago, but..." her smile faded. "...I guess he just took it especially hard."

Lucy nodded as she watched Erza pull out a beautiful white gown trimmed with blue. It was a more exquisite version of her favorite dress. Lucy gasped. "Erza, that looks like a ball gown!"

The scarlet-haired woman chuckled. "Yes, Lucy. I know. Here, put this on, I'll help you button it in the back."

After Lucy was dressed in the gorgeous finery, Erza had her sit down on the bed once more.

The older woman sighed. "Lucy...there's something you should know. About the Master. About why the curse was placed on the castle."

Lucy watched Erza intently and she went on. "Like I said before, the Master was very angry. He was actually furious. Before his loved one died, he was one of the happiest people anyone knew. He was always smiling, laughing. But after her death, he became extremely bitter and uncaring. His father, the king, was worried that he would soon go on a destructive rampage or something of that sort, and so he had a powerful witch put a curse on the Master and this castle. Gray and I volunteered to stay here with him, as he was a dear friend to us. Not that Gray would ever admit that. The Maser, he was even more furious, if that's even possible, once he and the castle were placed under the curse."

Lucy's expression had turned into one of mourning. "E-Erza. That was the fairy tale you told me before, wasn't it? It was real."

Erza nodded. "It was a very hard thing for me too, Lucy. And I'm sorry that I had to tell you."

Lucy gave her a small smile. "No, no. It's alright. I'm glad that you told me. I can't imagine what kind of pain that the Master went through. It must have been awful. I know what's it like to lose someone who you love so much." she smiled sadly down at her clasped hands.

Erza put a hand on her shoulder.

"But Lucy, the thing is, he hasn't requested that anyone come and see him as long as we've all been cursed. And that's...a very long time. He only meets with Gray because he had to. But you Lucy, he wants to see you. You must be extremely special."

And indeed. Erza knew she was.

Lucy smiled up at her.

Gray knocked on the door. "Erza, the Master wishes Lucy's presence in the west drawing room."

Erza gave Lucy one last encouraging smile. "You'll be fine, Lucy. Just be yourself."

Gray took Lucy's arm and led her down a maze of hallways. Ones that she hadn't ever even seen before. But Erza had told her not go to the West Wing. Gray finally stopped in front of a large doorway.

"We're here, Lucy. I'll see you in an hour." and he disappeared.

Lucy bit her lip. Was she supposed to knock? Go right in? Wait for someone to open the door? She didn't know what to do. She hesitantly raised a fist and knocked lightly on the door.

"Come in."

Lucy did as she was told and entered the room. It was dark, as the drapes were drawn. But Lucy could still see the outline of a figure sitting in a chair across the room. Shame, she wore such a nice dress and it was too dark to see it.

"Um, good afternoon." Lucy greeted nervously.

"You can sit down, if you want."

Funny, that voice sounded so familiar.

"Thank you." she took a seat on the settee a few feet away from him.

"You're Lucy, the girl who's been staying here."

"Yes."

Why did it sound so familiar? Where had she heard it before?

"I'm the Master of this castle. But Gray and Erza probably already told you that."

"They did so, sir." Lucy replied.

Yes, so familiar. She knew that voice.

"Are you happy here? Do you need anything?"

She did need something. She needed to know why his voice sounded so much like...

"Nothing much, sir." she responded. It was a total lie.

"Please, don't call me 'sir', it makes me feel old."

She smiled. Yes. It had to be, didn't it?

"Of course, Master. My apologies."

"So you don't need anything? Nothing at all?"

Lucy looked down at her lap, where her hands lay clasped. She smiled slightly.

"Well, Master, there is one thing..." she replied.

He sat forward in his seat a little. "Are you unhappy? Is there something bothering you?" his voice was frantic. "Are you hurt?"

She mentally high-fived herself. "No..." she rose from her seat and quietly made her way over to him. "It's just that...you sound so much like someone I know. Tell me, Master, do you like to scare unsuspecting you girls wandering around rose gardens at night? And do you carry them back to their rooms when they fall asleep outside?" her lips were right by his ear.

Lucy felt him stiffen. Then he laughed. "You figured me out so soon, didn't you?" his lips curled into a grin.

She chuckled. "So, Master...why did you call me here? I thought I could only see you on nights when the full moon reigned over the sky. You know, at our secret rendezvous point."

He laughed, and she felt his hand on her cheek. It was rough, but warm. "Luce, I couldn't wait another month to see you."

Lucy felt herself blush. And she was thankful it was too dark for him to see. Or at least, that's what she thought.

"Is the mighty Lucy Heartfilia _blushing_?" he teased.

She scoffed and internally cursed herself. He had _really _good eyesight. "O-oh yeah? How can you even tell?!"

He laughed. "Dragon Slayer eyesight. It's the best."

Lucy narrowed her eyes. "Ha ha. Right. And I'm Queen of the Fairies."

His hand cupped her cheek. "It's true, Lucy."

She crossed her arms. "But Dragons and Dragon Slayers aren't supposed to exist!"

He grinned. "And neither are dogs that look like miniature snowmen. Or curses. Or magic forests. And guess what? They do."

Lucy had to admit, he had a point.

"Besides, Erza is Queen of the Fairies." he noted.

Lucy gaped at him. "What?"

"Oh, maybe I shouldn't have said that...but it's true. The mighty Erza Scarlet is Queen of the Fairies."

"Your father...was he a dragon?" she wrapped her fingers around his free hand.

He chuckled. "You catch on fast. Yeah, Igneel, King of the Dragons. And get this, Gray's actually a prince too. That stripper just happens to be the son of a queen."

Lucy smiled. "Happy is yours, then?"

He perked up. "Happy? Have you met him too?"

She laughed. "Yeah. I have. Natsu, about...about the curse..."

His hand tightened around hers. "I'm sure Gray or Erza has already told you..."

Lucy smiled sadly. "Erza...I'm so sorry, Natsu."

Natsu sighed. "It's alright. It was a long time ago. I guess I really deserved what I got, anyway. Lucy, listen. I'm not...human. I was never really human in the first place, anyway. But Porlyusica, when she cursed me..." he pulled the drapes back, letting the light of the setting sun in.

Lucy gasped. "Oh Natsu...I'm sorry."

He hung his head and smiled. "It's not your fault, it's mine. I brought it upon myself, Luce. Honestly, it's not as bad as it used to be. I used to look like a dragon."

His skin was scaly looking, in certain places, not everywhere though. But other than that, he looked like a normal human.

"Believe it or not, ever since you showed up, it's started to get better." he tapped his chin. "Must be you're magic, Lucy."

She squeezed his hand that rested on her cheek.

"I'd really like it, if you came here everyday. I can only really take on my human form when the full moon is out, for some weird reason. But I don't want to have to wait until then to see you. It'd be _way _too long." he whined.

Lucy laughed. "Alright. I'll come and see you everyday then, Natsu."

And she placed a kiss on his scaly cheek.

**Sorry for any spelling/grammar errors/mistakes. I'm still the same old me. I hate typos, but I'm not really that great with proofreading either...I'm so lazy...**

**So...Lucy found out that Natsu was indeed the Master of the castle. We all knew that, of course.**

**I didn't know how to write Natsu as a 'beast' so I just used his from for when he gets REALLY angry and fired up!**

**Thank goodness for the manga, or else you'd probably have some crappy description of him. :P**

**Paradise.x suggested that I write him as Demon Lord Dragneel from Edolas, with the horns and stuff. And I seriously thought about it. Thanks for your suggestion!**

**Don't forget to vote for your favorite pairing! The next fairy tale will begin in only a few chapters, so this is one of the last times you'll be able to vote! Make it count! Also, the stories have been decided for each pairing!**

**Pairings:**

**Jerza (votes 17 ) Story: "Titania" (My variation of 'Snow White')**

**Gruvia (votes 14 ) Story: "Cinderella and the Poison Apple"**

**GaLe (votes 13 ) Story: "My Dearest Sleeping Beauty"**

**Vote now!**

**Have a wonderful day! The next update will come faster, I promise!**

**- Sonata-chan**


	11. Chapter 10

**And now I bring you chapter ten of 'The Princess and the Dragon'! In summary, it's entirely too short and sort of...well...not very good. But, I was in a hurry, so I apologize! **

** There are only two more chapters after this, and maybe a epilogue...I don't know yet. So this story is drawing to a close! *cries* I feel so sad and happy at the same time!**

** I have an announcement to make, okay? Voting is now CLOSED, and the next fairy tale has been decided! The pairing will be Jerza! Or ErzaxJellal! The story will be 'Titania', my version of Snow White, sort of...Thank you all so much for your votes! And when the next tale starts, voting will begin again! **

** So...I think that's it for now...**

** Oh, I didn't have the time to proofread this, so I apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes/errors! **

** Read on~! **

Chapter Ten

It had been about two months since Lucy had discovered that Natsu was the master of the castle, and about the curse. In that small amount of time, Cana had returned to find Lucy, and that the curse was already partly broken. Mira-jane, Elfman, and the brunette had actually become visible to the other inhabitants of the castle, thoroughly disturbing Gray in the process. He had been drinking tea with Lucy, when Mira had brought a tray full of cookies in. Of course Lucy had been able to see her, but then, Gray had turned to take one of the small desserts off the plate, and, one minute no one was there, and then the next thing he knew, Mira-jane was standing right next to him.

And in that small amount of time, Lucy and Natsu had grown closer to one another. Their feelings were very obvious to the other residents of the castle, but apparently, the two seemed to be a bit dense at the prospect of love. And so the others were forced to watch the their daily and somewhat intimate interactions. It was really frustrating to them, because they _knew _that the two were in love.

However, in a town close to the forest, someone was plotting to destroy the fairy tale that was just beginning to form...

"You've heard of her, right?" a blonde man asked, blinking at the other occupant of the room.

The brunette man huffed. "Of course I have! She's my love!"

The blonde man rolled his eyes and checked his nails. "Yes, well, she disappeared about six months ago. No one knows where she went. But there are rumors that a dragon kidnapped her."

The knight ground his teeth. "You don't mean, _the _dragon, do you?"

Blondie sighed and waved a hand. "Who else? Of course I'm talking about _him_."

The brunette man clenched his fists. "But I thought that was only a myth! Just a story! Dragons don't exist! It's all folklore and nonsense!" he yelled.

Blonde rolled his eyes and hummed. "It may not be. You know the story, right? A dragon terrorized the surrounding country, and so he was cursed and locked away. The Queen of the Fairies and the Prince-Soon-to-be-King-of-the-Ice-Kingdom," he sighed when he spoke of the 'prince' and clasped his hands, "were appointed to stay and keep the dragon from doing any further harm, or so the story goes. It may be a centuries' old legend, but what if it's true? What if the dragon somehow overpowered the Queen and Prince," he flitted his eye lashed several times, "and kidnapped 'your' fair maiden? Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, Dan."

The knight, Dan, scowled darkly. "In that case, my precious Lu-Lu needs rescuing!"

The blonde man, Sugarboy, nodded. "Now you're finally getting it! And not just her, but the Ice Prince as well."

Dan Straight eyed him strangely before grinning. "Well then, I suppose I'll have to slay the foul dragon to save the my beautiful princess!"

Sugarboy sighed. "Isn't that how all fairy tales go? The princess is kidnapped by the dragon, and the knight comes to her rescue, slays the beast, and then the knight marries the princess."

Dan's eyes lit up in a creepy way when Sugarboy mention him 'marrying' Lucy. The blonde cringed and scooted away from the knight.

* * *

Back in the castle, Lucy and Cana were watching the falling snow. The drunkard brunette took an immediate interest in the blonde, and they became close friends in a very short amount of time. Of course, Natsu wasn't all that happy that Lucy was spending quite a bit of her time with the brunette, but he would live.

"Look Cana! It's all so white and beautiful outside!" Lucy exclaimed, her nose and hands pressed up against the glass like an excited little girl's.

The drunkard snorted and took a gulp of whatever alcoholic beverage she was drinking. "I see, Lucy. Yes, it's very white."

The blonde tapped the glass. "Isn't there a lake somewhere on the grounds? I think I saw it one night..."

Cana stopped drinking. "A lake? Yeah, there is one. Why do you ask?"

Lucy grinned, stood, and waved a hand. "No reason. I'll see you later, okay Cana?"

The brunette rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yeah, bye Lucy."

Once the blonde had disappeared, Cana sighed and smiled a little. "Natsu's right. She is kind of weird."

"Natsu! Natsu!" Lucy yelled, bursting through his study door and startling him.

He turned around to face her. "Luce? What's wrong?!"

She grinned and held up a pair of ice skates, to which he raised a brow. "Nothing's wrong! We're going skating! Come on!" she grabbed his arm and attempted to pull him up.

Natsu laughed. "Who, whoa. What do you mean?"

Lucy tapped her foot against the floor impatiently. "You know, ice skating. Cana said that there was a lake on the grounds and it should be really frozen over by now. I want to go!"

He grinned at her and stood up. "Fine, fine. We'll go. But first," he pointed to her dress, "go put on something suitable for cold weather."

She abruptly turned on her heel and ran out of the room, returning a few minutes later with boots, mittens, and a warm cloak tied around her shoulders. She grabbed his hand, an excited smile on her face. "Okay! Let's go now!"

The two ventured out into the cold, Lucy shooting slight glares at Natsu, which he didn't fail to notice. "What is wrong with you?" he asked, draping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to him.

Lucy huffed. "You're not even wearing a coat and you look fine!"

He grinned and placed a kiss on the crown of her head. "Fire Dragon Slayer, remember Luce?"

The blonde waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah. I know." her eyes lit up and she suddenly pulled away from him. "Here it is! It's _huge_!"

Natsu grinned as he watched her run towards it, and took off after her. The two strapped their skates on, and after promising Natsu she would be extremely careful, Lucy set out first. She skated around in circles for a while, before sliding over to where he was waiting for her on the bank.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Come on!" she cried, grabbing his hand and pulling on it.

Natsu gave her a broad grin and joined her on the ice. Lucy brought her mitten-clad hands up to her mouth in excitement as she watched him skate around. She was waiting, _just waiting, _for him to fall. But, to her dismay, and also relief, he didn't. Sure she didn't want him to get hurt, but it would've been hilarious if someone like him actually did fall, she figured.

He raised a brow at her expectantly. "Well? You wanted to do this in the first place. Aren't you coming?" he held out a hand.

Lucy smiled and skated over to him, placing her smaller hand in his larger one. They were always amazed at how perfectly their hands fit together, like two puzzle pieces. Natsu grinned down at her and they were off.

"It's like they're meant for each other..." Mira sighed happily, leaning on the windowsill and watching the two skate.

"Like a freaking fairy tale...Good Mavis..." Cana rolled her eyes, but she was grinning.

Gray snorted. "Reminds me of a story Ultear used to read to Lyon and I...what was it? I can't remember, it's been so long ago." he rubbed his chin.

Cana laughed at him. "Your big sister used to read you fairy tales? What next? Did you sleep with a candle burning because you were afraid of the dark?!" she slapped her thigh and held her stomach as she laughed.

Gray turned pink. "H-hey! Gildarts used to read you fairy tales too! And bedtime stories, if I recall correctly!"

The brunette flushed. "D-don't bring him into it! A-and I'm a girl! It's aright for us to like fairy tales!"

Gray smirked. "So, do you ever dream of your prince coming and saving you, my fair Lady Cana?"

She lunged at him. "I'm gonna strangle you bastard!" Elfman held her back, but she smirked at him. "Besides, don't tell me you haven't thought about your kingdom becoming one with a certain water princess'?"

Elfman put a hand on Gray's head to keep him from getting to Cana as she dangled a few feet off of the ground as Elfman held her in the air by the back of her dress. But that certainly didn't stop Gray from trying. He clawed at the air only a few inches from him as she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Stop this! It isn't manly to argue!" Elfman boomed.

"I'm a woman!" Cana yelled.

**So...I've never written Dan Straight or Earthland Sugarboy. Or Edo Sugarboy, for that matter, so I'm sorry if they were _way _off. Which they probably were. I've only seen like, one episode that they were in. I mostly read the manga, and the Infinity Clock arc was exclusive to the anime. So I'm sorry. **

** I thought about writing a kiss scene in the snow for Natsu and Lucy, but I was like, "Eh, no...I'll wait 'til next chapter." **

** So you have a kissing scene to look forward to~! **

** It was so weird. I've changed my writing style, so typing up this chapter was just...so strange for me.**

** Until next time!**

** Bye bye for now~! **

** - Sonata-chan **


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